(First airdate: July 17, 2018) SCOTT ROGERS: BOSS MAN AT ALDRICH’S & DOGS-A-FOOT. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Scott Rogers, who owns two local icons – Aldrich’s and Dogs-A-Foot. Scott jumped around a few career paths, laying carpets, selling security systems and running restaurants. But when the bottom fell out of his life in the Great Recession, Scott somehow found both the love of his life (his now wife Robin) and a home in Port Townsend. Buying Dogs-A-Foot four years ago seemed like a natural fit for his entrepreneurial nature. Then Aldrich’s became available a little over a year ago. Scott is trying to take the venerable Port Townsend fixture back to its roots as a true community general store and gathering place.
Our Town
#114 Polly Rogers, Mom’s Laundromat
(First airdate: July 3, 2018) POLLY ROGERS: THE GREAT GRANDMOM AT MOM’S LAUNDROMAT. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Polly Rogers, a mainstay at Mom’s Laundromat for the past several decades. What better place to delve into the town’s dirty laundry than a laundromat? Panties in the wrong bag can lead to inescapable clues. Polly was just 19 when she married a mill worker here. She ended up living in the same house in the Four Corners area for the past 63 years. Mom’s features a wall of framed “lost socks” and Polly was once humorously awarded a gold-plated sock. She’s never quite found gold in a laundry bag, but there was a laptop, a 10-inch clock, and lots of other strange items. Still, Polly loves her job and comes in early and stays late just to share in the stories of the ever changing cast of characters from townies to tourists.
#113 Gary Keister, Old Alcohol Plant
(First airdate: June 19, 2018) GARY KEISTER: BRINGING LIFE TO THE OLD ALCOHOL PLANT. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Gary Keister, the new owner of the Old Alcohol Plant. Gary has a unique vision. Half of the property is now a charming Inn & Restaurant, with spectacular views of the Port Hadlock Marina and the coast beyond. It features galleries that celebrate local artists and hosts classes and lectures. The reincarnated Old Alcohol Plant is fast becoming a popular venue for weddings, parties and conferences. Then there’s the “other side.” Gary has a unique vision. Half of the property is the Bayside Tower, which houses community members in need of transitional housing. The ‘for profit’ side (the Inn & Restaurant) helps support the ‘non-profit’ side. It’s an innovative and compassionate way to help with our housing crisis.
#112 Bob Snow, From Spook to Computer Guru
(First airdate: June 5, 2018) BOB SNOW: FROM SPOOK TO COMPUTER GURU. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Bob Snow, former counter-intelligence agent. Bob was stationed in multiple countries around the world where he learned to “read” people and discover their weaknesses. He was a behind-the-scenes operative in places as different as the Amazon rain forest to the mountains of Germany. But here in Port Townsend, he has morphed into a Mac computer guru.
#111 Miles Vokurka, PT Summer Band
(First airdate: May 22, 2018) MILES VOKURKA: LEADING THE BOYS & GIRLS OF THE BAND. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Miles Vokurka, new Conductor of the Port Townsend Summer Band. Band members include teenagers and teenagers at heart who are drawn together by their love of music. The first concert of the season is Memorial Day (May 28) down at the Legion Hall on Water Street. Summer concerts in the gazebo at Chetzemoka Park are a long-standing tradition. Miles picks up the baton from retiring conductor Karl Bach. He promises to continue the tradition of rousing marches and will also add some newer touches ranging from Oklahoma to The Beatles.
#110 Angela Hewitson, NW Maritime Center
(First airdate: May 8, 2018) PARTY TIME AT THE MARITIME CENTER. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Angela Hewitson, the Community Engagement Coordinator at the Northwest Maritime Center. That tongue-twister title means that Angela is in charge of running down a list of some 1,400 “active volunteers” and getting about 500 of them lined up for the annual Wooden Boat Festival. She’s also helping out with the R2AK race, now in its fourth year. Hopefully Angela’s love of woodworking and her hospitality industry background will help her bring off the parties (and, yes, the Festival too).
#109 Matt Wallace, Hope Roofing
(First airdate: April 24, 2018) MATT WALLACE: A VIEW FROM THE ROOF TOPS. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Matt Wallace, the new owner of Hope Roofing. Matt’s a long-time roofer but new at running a business the size of Hope Roofing. He has backing from a group of private investors known as LION (Local Investing Opportunities Network). Matt wants to continue and expand this local institution – a company that’s been roofing the peninsula since 1977.
#108 Bob Farr, Father Time Clock Repair
(First airdate: April 10, 2018) TICK, TOCK: IT’S FATHER TIME. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Bob Farr, the guy behind Father Time Clock Repair. Super-mechanic Bob worked his way from cars to jet planes and finally to grandfather & cuckoo clocks. Every clock has a story, he says, if only they could talk about the generations they have watched. One peninsula clock dates back to 1741. That family has the multigenerational story memorized. Some clocks he worked on came from the great sailing vessels, some are more modest family mantle clocks. But all are lovingly restored.
#107 Rose Ann Carol, Jefferson County Auditor
(First airdate: March 27, 2018) AUDITOR ROSE ANN CARROLL – A HEAD FOR NUMBERS. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Rose Ann Carroll, Jefferson County’s Auditor. Marriage licenses, car registration and taxes on your home are all handled by the Auditor’s office. Perhaps one of her most complex responsibilities is handling all elections from small county elections to the presidential races. Rose Ann has her fingers on the pulse of Jefferson County – a county that has seen the 60+ age category increase by over 25% since 2010.
#106 Martin Mills
(First airdate: March 13, 2018) SHIPWRIGHT MARTIN MILLS – A PASSION FOR BOAT BUILDING. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Martin Mills, who is one of the 12 partners in the Port Townsend Shipwrights Co-op. Not everyone realizes that there are as many – if not more – people employed down at the Boat Haven than at the Mill. The maritime trades are a key underpinning of the local economy. The Co-op’s business model means these skilled tradesmen share in things like rent, bookkeeping and even many tools. All receive an hourly wage and if there’s an annual profit, it’s shared.

